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The taxes that are withheld from paychecks amount to about 25% of your gross pay (including federal tax, state tax, social security tax and medicare tax). But these taxes that are withheld could be working for you as investments if you employ what I call the ultimate tax strategy. This tax strategy consists of how you plan to pay no taxes just like all of the large corporations. Large businesses have teams of accountants and lawyers going over the tax code to make maximum use of legitimate deductions.

In my opinion, there is a distinct difference between an individual and a business in the U.S. tax code (others have called it the difference between the rich and the poor). Such as businesses are rewarded with tax deductions because they create jobs and engage in entrepreneurial activities that support individuals and government. But individuals are awarded few tax breaks because they don’t create jobs and don’t take risks that add substantial value to the economy. This is simply the fact and we just need to find a way to make the most of the few tax deductions that are available to wage earners as well.

When tax time comes around, the only substantial tax break most individuals have is a deduction for their home mortgage. This deduction is a social policy benefit to many people, but instead of helping people, it can motivate them to buy a larger home or higher mortgage than they would ordinarily afford. And unless you live in a neighborhood that continually appreciates, this is not a great strategy for you to target.

First, I need to make some big disclaimers about minimizing your taxes. There are many people in jail that have written books, tapes, websites and held seminars on how to never pay taxes. You can spot these people due to their focus on concepts that the IRS says are invalid; strained interpretations that haven’t held up in court, constitutional nonsense and a lot of straight fraud. Once the IRS audits these “patriotic educators”, the result is an invoice for back taxes, interest, penalties, and a jail or prison sentence. And illegal tax avoidance isn’t limited to wage earners. Nearly every month there is someone who tried to avoid taxes from a giant windfall (sold a company for millions, exercised stock options, received a large bonus) and paid some small shady offshore consulting company to create a fictitious tax loss to offset the big gain. The same thing happens; IRS files suit for back taxes, interest, penalties and possibly jail depending on the circumstances.

The ultimate tax planning strategy works when you buy investments that have a positive cash flow (before any tax consequences), and give you a legitimate tax deduction as an added bonus. Now it is just a matter of buying enough of these investments to reduce your tax liabilities close to zero. If you have too much of these investments, the IRS limits tax loss carry-forwards, and you may end up losing them.

The two legitimate deductions that I want to mention are real estate depreciation and oil well depletion. You are buying something that is going to put money in your pocket (or a very high probability of success), and because it is in alignment with government policy, they give you a tax deduction to take this risk.

To figure out how much of a deduction that you need, start with your 1040 federal tax form. Add together the Standard Deduction (which is around $3,000) and your itemized deductions from Schedule A. The difference between the number that you just calculated and your actual Adjusted Gross Income is the amount of depreciation you need to acquire for the ultimate tax strategy.

Investment real estate depreciation is calculated over 29.5 years right now, so take the amount of depreciation that you need and multiply it by 29.5 to calculate the purchase price you need to buy. (Note that depreciation is limited to $25,000 per year unless you meet the IRS qualifications as a real estate professional. The taxing authorities don’t like wage earners taking these types of deductions so there are many limits on them, including the Alternative Minimum Tax, to block you from taking excessive deductions).

Now even if you aren’t able to buy enough tax deductible investments to get your taxable income all the way down to zero, any investment that meets the IRS rules for a deduction, and is a positive cash flow investment, will increase your net worth, reduce your taxes and thus create more money available to you to spend or invest.

The United States is a nation of entrepreneurs. There are literally tens of millions of self-employed individuals that enjoy pursuing their dream business. Of course, few of you enjoy the paperwork and confusing tax issues that arise from owning your own business.

Keywords:
tax, taxes, self employed, small business, irs, strategy, information

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The United States is a nation of entrepreneurs. There are literally tens of millions of self-employed individuals that enjoy pursuing their dream business. Of course, few of you enjoy the paperwork and confusing tax issues that arise from owning your own business.

Many self-employed individuals are considered “sole proprietors” or “independent contractors” for legal and tax purposes. This is true regardless of whether you are turning a hobby into a business, selling an indispensable widget or providing services to others. As a self-employed person, you report business revenue results on your personal income tax return. Following are a few guidelines and issues you should keep in mind if you are pursuing your entrepreneurial spirit.

Schedule C – Form 1040.

As a self-employed person, you are required to report your business profits or losses on Schedule C of Form 1040. The income earned through your business is taxable to you as an individual. This is true even if you do not withdraw any money from the business. While you are required to report your gross revenues, you are also allowed to deduct business expenses incurred in generating that revenue. If your business efforts result in a loss, the loss will generally be deductible against your total income from all sources, subject to special rules relating to whether your business is considered a hobby and whether you have anything “at risk.”

Home-Based Business

Many self-employed individuals work out of their home and are entitled to deduct a percentage of certain home costs that are applicable to the portion of the home that is used as your office. This can include payments for utilities, telephone services, etc. You may also be eligible to claim these deductions if you perform administrative tasks from your home or store inventory there. If you work out of your home and have an additional office at another location, you also may be able to convert your commuting expenses between the two locations into deductible transportation expenses. Since most self-employed individuals find themselves working more than the traditional 40-hour week, there are a significant number of advantageous deductions that can be claimed. Unfortunately, we find that most self-employed individuals miss these deductions because they are unaware of them.

Self-Employment Taxes – The Bad News

A negative aspect to being self-employed is the self-employment tax. All salaried individuals are subject to automatic deductions from their paycheck including FICA, etc. In that many self-employed individuals often do not run a formal payroll for themselves, the government must recapture these taxes through the self-employment tax. Simply put, you are required to pay self-employment taxes at a rate of 15.3% on your net earnings up to $87,900 for 2004. For net income in excess of $87,900, you will pay further taxes at a rate of 2.9% on the excess.

In an interesting twist that reveals the confusing nature of the tax code, you are allowed a partial deduction for the self-employment tax. Simply put, you are allowed to deduct one-half of your self-employment taxes from your gross income. For example, if you pay $10,000 in self-employment taxes, you are allowed a deduction on your 1040 return of $5,000. Many self-employed individuals miss this deduction and pay more money to taxes than needed.

Health Insurance Deduction

This used to be a very messy area for self-employed individuals, to wit, you received little tax relief when it came to your health insurance bill. This was a particular burden for small business owners when considering the astronomical cost of health insurance. All of this has changed and you now may deduct 100% of your health insurance costs as a business expense.

No Withholding Tax

Unlike a salaried employee sitting in a cubicle, you are not subject to withholding tax on your paycheck. While this sounds great, you are required to make quarterly estimated tax payments. If you fail to make the payments, you are subject to a penalty, but the penalty is not the biggest concern. A potential and dangerous pitfall of being self-employed is failing to pay quarterly estimated taxes and then getting caught at the end of the year without sufficient funds to pay your taxes. The IRS is not going to be happy if you fail to pay your taxes and you will suffer the consequences in the form of penalties and interest. Making sure you pay quarterly estimated taxes helps avoid this situation and it is highly recommended that you follow this course of action.

Record Keeping

You must maintain complete records of all business income and expenses. Simply put, document everything.Create a filing system for each month and file every receipt, etc. All business travel expenses must be documented, including auto mileage you incur when performing business tasks. Office supply stores sell business mileage books that you can keep in your car and use whenever you travel. If you have any doubt about documenting something, just do it!

In Closing

As a self-employed individual, your focus and time is spent on making your business successful. Your focus is not on the complexities of the tax code and how to limit the amount of taxes you owe. If any of the information in this article is new to you, then it is highly likely you have paid far more in taxes than required.

Here are seven ways for owners of small businesses to save money on their taxes.

1. Incorporate Yourself: If you`re still a proprietor or partner of a business, it`s time to incorporate yourself. Not only will you limit your liability, but you may enjoy lower tax rates on small business income and other tax advantages as well.

2. Be Home Based: If possible, continue (or switch to) being a home based business. Not only will you keep your overhead down, but you will be a…

Keywords:
INCOME TAXES, REDUCE TAXES, INCOME SPLIT, TAX PLANNING, INCORPORATE, HOME BASED

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Here are seven ways for owners of small businesses to save money on their taxes.

1. Incorporate Yourself: If you`re still a proprietor or partner of a business, it`s time to incorporate yourself. Not only will you limit your liability, but you may enjoy lower tax rates on small business income and other tax advantages as well.

2. Be Home Based: If possible, continue (or switch to) being a home based business. Not only will you keep your overhead down, but you will be able to write-off (or deduct) the business use of your home.

3. Income Split: Pay reasonable wages to your spouse and children. In this way, you can legally divert income taxed at your higher rate to your family members that are in a lower tax bracket.

4. Rearrange Your Affairs For Maximum Tax Savings: Can you make some changes to turn your hobby into a moneymaking business? Can you use that extra room in your house as a home office for your business? Can you arrange to use your car more for business purposes? Can you arrange for more of your entertainment expenses to be business related?

5. Document Your Expenses Well: Do you document your expenses well so that they would survive a tax audit? Have you kept a mileage log so that you can prove the percentage business use you claim for your vehicle? Have you kept receipts for all your entertainment expenses and listed the business purpose on the back of each receipt?

6. Be Punctual: File all returns and pay all taxes due (income, payroll, sales, et cetera) on time. This way, you avoid expensive late filing (and payment) penalties and interest.

7. Develop a Tax Planning Mindset: Some people only worry about their taxes during tax season. However, you will save a fortune in taxes, legally, if you make tax planning your year-round concern. Do you make business and personal purchases, investments, and other expenditures with tax savings in mind?

1.You will probably be able to itemize. This means that you will be able to take a deduction for things like donations, and more importantly in your case, mortgage interest. At the end of the year you’ll receive Form 1099 from your lender where it will show how much interest you have paid on your mortgage. It may also include the property tax you’ve paid. Make sure to include those in your tax return. It will more likely than not help reduce the amount of tax owed.

2. Home Office Deduction: Since you’re running an internet based business, I’ll assume you do most of your work from home. In this case you can probably use the Home office deduction. This means that you’ll be able to take some of your home expenses and convert them into business expenses. There are several methods (described here: http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed/Home-Office-Deduction) however, the easiest one is where you take the total of your expenses and figure out how much of that is for business. You then take that percentage as a deduction. For example, if you pay $100 a month a month for internet access and you calculate that maybe 35% of the internet use is for business, then you’re able to count $35 ($100 * 35%) a month as a business expense. You can do that for anything that you use for your business. Especially now that you have a house, you may have a little home office you use solely for business. Let’s say that room is 10% total of your house and your monthly mortgage is $2,760. That means that every month you can take $276 ($2,760*10%) as a business expense.

3.Make sure you keep track of your business expenses. If possible, open a separate checking account that you use solely for business. This will not only make it easier for you to gauge how much money you’re making/losing, it also makes it way easier when you’re figuring out your business tax return at the end of the year. Otherwise you’ll just have to sit down or pay someone to sit down and go through your bank account trying to figure out if the $35 you spent at Best Buy was for personal use or for business expense. You don’t want to get stuck in that situation.

The medium is the message, it’s sometimes said. Think of Franklin D Roosevelt and his “fireside chats” to the nation. In a pre-TV era, the radio was the perfect medium to “have a conversation with the American people”. He could get his reassuring message right into folks’ homes, and become a part of the family. A different medium, for example a grandstanding speech, wouldn’t have got the message across as effectively as an intimate radio chat. The medium most surely was the message.

But let’s come back to the 21st.century and something close to all our hearts: tax preparation, or, to be exact, tax preparation software. Unfortunately, this particular medium seems to be giving out mixed messages, although software programmers and vendors would reassure us that we can complete tax programs quickly and accurately, click “print” and produce a tax return destined to meet the IRS’s requirements.

Seems clear enough, so why the mixed messages? One of the main criticisms levelled at tax preparation software is its “one-size-fits-all” approach. Its critics, businessmen in the main, ask how it’s possible to condense an extraordinary number of codes and regulations into a half-hour interview process. Irrespective of the claims made by software programmers, critics point out that only the most general set of credits and deductions can be incorporated into tax software, which means that you’ll be the loser. It’s these sins of omission, or the questions they don’t ask, which work to your detriment and the advantage of the IRS.

Imagine this scene for a moment. A medium is holding a séance. She’s trying to put you in touch with the other side who also want to get in touch with you. She’ll ask leading questions and, reading between the lines, make statements general enough to apply to anyone, but those present will interpret them as applying to themselves as unique individuals. A “plant” in the audience will bolster her authenticity further and convince you that the entire process will bring you good news from the other side.

How a charlatan operates in a séance is exactly how critics see the operation of tax preparation software. These programs are designed for all businesses but with the same basic tax deduction questions being asked, albeit modified slightly, in every case. You might think you’re being treated as a unique individual as you’re asked to state the nature of your business before beginning the interview process. This isn’t the case, however, even though software vendors try and plant in your mind that, by purchasing their top-notch programs, you will be able to check all credits and deductions.

Believe that, say the critics, and you’ll get what you think is good news in terms of credits and deductions. But, as with the self-fulfilling prophecy of the charlatan medium, you’re only getting what you’re looking for. You need to think “out of the box”, and hire the services of a professional who really can read between the lines to ensure you don’t overpay your taxes. So, the critics’ verdict on tax preparation software as a medium? – “I’ll be getting in touch… with my accountant”.

For some folks, then, all tax preparation software is bad. If you think they’re good then you’re thinking yourself out of thousands of dollars. An active investor, running his own business and having a substantial portfolio of stocks, might disagree. There are very good programs available, either web- or PC-based, which can handle multiple entries very effectively. Only in exceptional circumstances, that is in unique tax situations, would it be necessary to get a tax accountant to do the job for you. For investors, the software or medium is essentially good, it’s more a question of “means well but not quite all there”.

If you’re filing straightforward tax returns, and perhaps you’re in receipt of dividends from mutual funds and W-2s from your job, tax preparation software is readily available to calculate your returns quickly and accurately. Your returns are calculated, and you’re informed of any possible problems. Good tax software will enable you to e-file a federal and state return for less than $16. You can happily tick the boxes as a unique individual who’s not in a unique tax situation.

Things can turn very ugly, though, when the tax preparation software you’re using doesn’t provide easy-to-follow, in-depth help for the new or relatively inexperienced tax filer. The help needs to be as jargon-free as possible, and a good program will provide the necessary tools and capabilities enabling you to complete the return accurately. This means the program should have helpful drop-down menus and icons, together with a quick and easily-accessible online service. The best-documented programs should offer a combination of helpful customer service and useful financial tax tips and advice.

Unfortunately, using some of the free tax preparation software available, suitable mainly for folks filing simpler tax returns with adjusted gross income of $34,000 or less, can be a self-defeating exercise. While some are fast and easy to use, with both interview-style and forms-based input, others are not. When you buy tax software the vendor often provides technical support to the purchaser, but this key element is missing in the free software. Users of free software tend to be less computer-literate and are, therefore, more likely to find things turning ugly. Their verdict on this indifferent medium? – “means well but has lost the plot”.

So, good, bad and ugly: the messages are mixed for tax preparation software. Take out the ugly, and most would agree that this method of filing your tax return is fast, accurate and practically error-free. For some die-hards, though, this software will never be the medium of choice for communicating with the IRS.

The IRS determines your filing status by seeing what it is on Dec. 31st. So if you are now divorced and plan to stay that way until Dec. 31st at 11:59PM, your filing status for your 2014 tax return will be single or Head of Household if you have dependents.

If you guys were in the $400k income range and now you’re in the $40k, it will definitely go down. I couldn’t tell you the exact number because we have to take into account any itemized deductions, donations, and the type of income the $400k was made up (selling stocks is taxed differently than salary) as well as other items. Currently the Federal Tax rate ranges from 15%-35%. You’ll probably fall in the 15% just as a guesstimate.

The end of tax filing extensions is quickly approaching. What do you do if you can’t pay the amounts you owe? You should still file your return by the due date and pay as much as you can. There are, however, additional steps that might help.

Keywords:
taxes, can’t pay

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The end of tax filing extensions is quickly approaching. What do you do if you can’t pay the amounts you owe? You should still file your return by the due date and pay as much as you can. There are, however, additional steps that might help.

Credit Cards

You can charge your taxes on your American Express, MasterCard, Visa or Discover cards. If you go in this direction, you can use either of the following two sources:

Official Payments Corporation
1-800-2PAY-TAX (1-800-272-9829)
www.officialpayments.com

Link2Gov Corporation
1-888-PAY-1040 (1-888-729-1040)
www.pay1040.com

If a credit card is out of the question, you may be able to pay any remaining balance over time in monthly installments through an installment agreement. If you are completely wiped out and the future looks grim, you may also want to consider getting the tax amount reduced through the Offer in Compromise program.

To apply for an installment payment plan, fill out and attach Form 9465 to the front of your tax return. The IRS has streamlined the approval process if your total taxes (not counting interest, penalties or other additions) do not exceed $25,000 and can be paid off in five years or less. Be sure to show the amount of your proposed monthly payment and the date you wish to make your payment each month. Make absolutely sure you can make the payments.

The IRS charges a $43 fee for setting up an installment agreement. You will also be charged interest plus a late payment penalty on the unpaid taxes. The late payment penalty is usually one-half of one percent per month or part of a month of your unpaid tax. The penalty rate is reduced to one-quarter of one percent for any month an Installment Agreement is in effect if you filed your return by the due date (including extensions). The maximum failure to pay penalty is 25 percent of the tax paid late.

If you do not file your return by the due date (including extensions), you may have to pay a penalty for filing late. The penalty for failing to file and pay timely is usually five percent of the unpaid tax for each month or part of a month that your return is late. The maximum penalty for failure to file and pay on time is 25 percent of your unpaid tax.

In Closing

The IRS wants you in the system, even if you’re broke. Whatever you do, file your tax return in a timely manner. Once filed, the IRS will work with you on payment issues. Don’t get stressed. Keep in mind that millions of Americans have the same problem.

Taxation law is a complex and in-depth area of concern for the small business owner. With potential pecuniary and criminal consequences, it is of paramount importance to ensure as a business owner, you are familiar with the tax consequences in your jurisdictions, and the ways in which you can minimise your liability. Whilst one of the most legally important things to understand as a small business owner, taxation law also provides an excellent opportunity for saving money and increasing profitability within a small business environment. In this article, we will look at some of the main and most common tax implications of running a small business, and some of the most effective ways of ensuring you pay less tax through your small business operation.

Tax regimes vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and the implications of running a small business also vary, both in terms of the legal and financial requirements. Having said that, there are a number of common elements that transcend jurisdiction and appear in numerous guises across various systems that can be of use to the small business owner. One of the first things to consider as a small business owner is to establish a limited liability company. The primary reason for this is that limited liability companies usually provide a more relaxed tax regime as compared to income tax liability. A sole proprietor operating out-with the parameters of a corporate entity is liable to account for profits as income, which can lead to a greater tax liability and potential individual state contributions. As a corporate entity, the owner can pay himself via share dividends, which carry a lower tax liability and thus minimising his overall liability to tax. This is significantly better than paying oneself a wage, which bears the tax liability from both ends, i.e. the company is liable to taxation as is the employee.

Another essential for the small business owner is what is known as capital allowance. By means of capital allowance, business owners can offset the acquisition cost of assets on a graduated scale in accordance with the specific principles of the regime in question. This is in effect a deductible expense, which ultimately minimises yearly tax liability. There is a particular benefit in that many regimes allow an accelerated relief for business assets. This can be exploited to an extent by acquiring assets through the business, for example a car, which can also be used for personal purposes. Rather than buying a car from personal income, buying it through the company allows you to offset the amount of the expense quickly against your business profits, which ultimately reduce your liability to tax.

Before embarking on any tax reducing strategies, it is important to ensure you are acquainted with the specific laws of your jurisdiction to avoid running into trouble with the authorities. In some of Europe, for example, there is a requirement to declare any specific tax minimising strategies to the government to allow for rectification of loopholes. It is important to ensure you are acquainted with the specific laws to avoid potential criminal liability as a consequence of ignorance. By familiarising yourself with the laws in your jurisdiction, you can avoid the potential pitfalls and create a tax planning strategy that provides the most cost effective solution for you and your small business.

Owning and operating a home based business has many advantages and benefits over working at a regular 9-5 job. There is always the simple pleasure of just being at home in addition to the above average income the self employed usually bring in. One consideration that you may not have fully explored is the qualifying deductions you can make on your tax return.

Home Office Deduction

Your office at home and related expenses are allowed deductions according to IRS guidelin…

Keywords:
home based business tax deductions,home business tax write-offs,tax incentives work at home

Article Body:
Owning and operating a home based business has many advantages and benefits over working at a regular 9-5 job. There is always the simple pleasure of just being at home in addition to the above average income the self employed usually bring in. One consideration that you may not have fully explored is the qualifying deductions you can make on your tax return.

Home Office Deduction

Your office at home and related expenses are allowed deductions according to IRS guidelines. To qualify, your home must be the primary place where your business is conducted. Additionally, the office space must be used exclusively for your business. It is best to have a room that is obviously equipped for business use only. Should a question arise, there must not be any doubt that the room is used for other purposes. Needless to say, keep the day bed in another room.Details of what qualifies as a home office and what can be deducted is explained more fully in various IRS publications found on their website at http://irs.gov

Home Office Building Expenses

You can deduct home office improvements and repairs. So, if you were to paint your home office, it is considered an expense associated with conducting business from your home and it is deductible.You can also deduct mortgage interest as a percentage of the full mortgage paid on your home. Lets say if your home office takes up 100 square feet of your 1,000 square foot home, you could deduct up to 10% of the interest on your home mortgage as a business expense. This also applies to those who rent. Property taxes paid for your home also qualify at the same percentage rate as the mortgage. Home owners can also depreciate a percentage of the home over 39 years. Home expenses that are not related to your business cannot be deducted.

Utilities

Using the same percentages, you can also write off utilities such as electrical, gas, etcetera.

Phones and Communications

The IRS considers the first phone line in your home to be personal. Additional lines for business use including a cell phone are tax deductible. Internet service fees are deductible as a percentage depending on its business use.

Security

A percentage of the secured home area and its security costs are deductible as a business cost.

Moving Expenses

Form 8829 titled Expenses for the Business Use of Your Home is where you would claim moving expenses related to your business. Again, if 25% of your belongings were business items, that percentage can be written off as a business expense. Unfortunately, a C corporation cannot claim this deduction.

Software

Any software that you purchase for business use can be deducted. You will probably be required to write off over a period of time programs that are over $500 in value though. Check with IRS guidelines for further information.

Insurance

The premium you pay on your home owner’s insurance is partially deductible. Any insurance that covers your business specifically can be deducted as a cost of doing business. An incurred loss not covered by insurance can be deducted fully or partially depending on its’ use.

Tax Preparation Expenses

You might be able to deduct the cost of having your taxes prepared even though it may not be specifically about your home based business. Any software that you purchase to help you prepare your taxes for your business may also be deductible.

Retirement Account

Contributions to a self employed retirement account may also help reduce your tax liability. Inquire with a qualified specialist like a CPA to determine current laws regarding this special benefit.

Educational Expenses

Any monies spent on learning skills that are specific to your home business are usually tax deductible. If you purchase a course in gift basket making for example as a precept to starting your gift basket home business, that would be tax deductible.

Transportation

You can write off transportation expenses related to your business. Traveling to and from a clients place of business, for example, would qualify. The IRS allowed 37.5 cents per mile for the 2004 tax year. You must keep detailed records though. A journal kept in your car with odometer readings should suffice.

Meals and Entertainment

If you entertain while conducting business even if it just over a meal it is deductible. While you can only deduct 50% of the cost of meals and entertainment, it is well worth keeping records. Additionally, you can deduct your meals if you are conducting business out of town. Please remember to stay within IRS guidelines to avoid awkward questions later.

Summary

Most home businesses do not take all the deductions that they are legally entitled to mainly because the idea of an audit is so fear invoking. Just stay within the IRS guidelines, keep receipts and accurate records. If you have any questions or doubts, call and ask the IRS. You can also consult with a tax preparer to help you discover, implement, and plan on what deductions you can legally take.

Remember, tax deductions are a way to foster the growth of your business. Take advantage of your legal right to legally minimize your tax liability, your home based business will be glad you did.

The end of year tax return must be the most stressful part of running your own business. It is even worse if you have earnings abroad and have to fill in tax returns from those countries as well.

How can you make life easier?

1. Start an accounts system. This can be in a hardbck ruled ledger that you can buy from any stationery store.

2. Keep receipts for everything. Enter these into your accounts once a week, or once a month

3. Enter any payments made to you in y…

Keywords:
tax, tax return, income tax, accounts, accounting, accountant, accounting software, irs, revenue

Article Body:
The end of year tax return must be the most stressful part of running your own business. It is even worse if you have earnings abroad and have to fill in tax returns from those countries as well.

How can you make life easier?

1. Start an accounts system. This can be in a hardbck ruled ledger that you can buy from any stationery store.

2. Keep receipts for everything. Enter these into your accounts once a week, or once a month

3. Enter any payments made to you in your accounts system as soon as you get them.

4. Look at the different software accounts packages. You will learn to use whatever package you buy, but try to avoid the over complex ones in the first instance. If you are comfortable with using spreadsheets and cell formulae you could keep your accounts in a spreadsheet program.

5. Open the tax return envelope as soon as it comes. Putting it off does not help. Check all the sheets you need are there. Download or send off for any missing sheets.

6. Aim to have your tax return filled in well ahead of the final deadline. That way the IRS or other government revenue department will check your figures and work out how much you owe them. This causes much less stress than having to do it yourself and worrying whether you have the calculation right.

7. As an alternative to steps 3-6, you can employ an accountant. You can pay the accountant to fill in your tax return and to do your accounts for you. The amount you will pay will depend on the amount of work involved. If you just take in a box of receipts and deposit slips you can only expect to pay a higher fee than the person who presents the accountant with neatly filed receipts and accounts.

The end of year tax return must be the most stressful part of running your own business. It is even worse if you have earnings abroad and have to fill in tax returns from those countries as well.

How can you make life easier?

1. Start an accounts system. This can be in a hardbck ruled ledger that you can buy from any stationery store.

2. Keep receipts for everything. Enter these into your accounts once a week, or once a month

3. Enter any payments made to you in y…

Keywords:
tax, tax return, income tax, accounts, accounting, accountant, accounting software, irs, revenue

Article Body:
The end of year tax return must be the most stressful part of running your own business. It is even worse if you have earnings abroad and have to fill in tax returns from those countries as well.

How can you make life easier?

1. Start an accounts system. This can be in a hardbck ruled ledger that you can buy from any stationery store.

2. Keep receipts for everything. Enter these into your accounts once a week, or once a month

3. Enter any payments made to you in your accounts system as soon as you get them.

4. Look at the different software accounts packages. You will learn to use whatever package you buy, but try to avoid the over complex ones in the first instance. If you are comfortable with using spreadsheets and cell formulae you could keep your accounts in a spreadsheet program.

5. Open the tax return envelope as soon as it comes. Putting it off does not help. Check all the sheets you need are there. Download or send off for any missing sheets.

6. Aim to have your tax return filled in well ahead of the final deadline. That way the IRS or other government revenue department will check your figures and work out how much you owe them. This causes much less stress than having to do it yourself and worrying whether you have the calculation right.

7. As an alternative to steps 3-6, you can employ an accountant. You can pay the accountant to fill in your tax return and to do your accounts for you. The amount you will pay will depend on the amount of work involved. If you just take in a box of receipts and deposit slips you can only expect to pay a higher fee than the person who presents the accountant with neatly filed receipts and accounts.

The tax advantages of incorporating a business is one of the main reasons that owners choose to incorporate their businesses, no matter what market they work in. Other types of businesses, such as sole proprietorships, are not afforded nearly as many tax advantages as an incorporation.

A move called income shifting is one that helps the business, and its owners, immensely. This is a method in which the total income of your corporation is divided among its members. How does this help, you might wonder? By shifting the income to a number of individuals, the overall tax that is required to be paid on it can be significantly lower, which is a great tax advantages of incorporating a business.

Being able to offer a greater amount of fringe benefits also factors into the tax advantages of incorporating a business. This is from the fact that other types of businesses don’t get as much of a tax deduction on such things as medical and retirement plans. In some cases, you can get a full exemption as long as you choose the proper plans.

Another tax advantages of incorporating a business is that of making your business a completely separate entity. This saves you from liability with your personal assets in case your business gets in trouble, as well as allowing you to structure your business to take advantage of your business income and lower tax rate. There are also many deductibles that you simply don’t get when you have a sole proprietorship or partnership.

While you don’t want it to happen, business losses can occur. With an incorporation, you are entitled to an unlimited about of business losses, as opposed to the very stringent requirements for other structures of business. These are the main tax advantages of incorporating a business, and ones that you will want to keep in mind when deciding whether or not you want to incorporate your business.

Income delegation is another great aspect of incorporation. You can state when you receive income yourself, as opposed to income towards your business. This is a great way of keeping your income tax for both your personal and business selves down low, and is a huge reason to incorporating for small business.

You can also receive a small business tax deduction. This comes from incorporating for small business, and is 16% on your first $200,000 in profit, which may or may not be lower than what you are paying from your personal income taxes. It is definitely something that should be looked into, however.

* What is a W-2 form?

The W-2 is a form that an employee receives from his or her employer once a year. It is also sent to the IRS at the end of every year. The total annual wages paid and the taxes that the employer withheld from each paycheck are shown on the W-2 form. Federal law states that the W-2 form must be mailed by January 31st of each year.

It consists of six copies:

Copy A – Submitted to the Social Security Administration from the employer.

Copy B – Sent to the employee to be attached to the federal income tax return when it is filed.

Copy C – Sent to the employee to be kept for their records.

Copy D – Retained by the employer for their records.

Copy 1 – Sent to the employee to be filed with the state or local tax if required.

Copy 2 – Also sent to the employee to be filed with the state or local tax return if required.

* What is a W-4 form?

The W-4 form is usually filled out by an employee whenever he or she starts a new job. It tells the employer the right amount of tax to be withheld from each paycheck and paid to the government.

You should review your federal and state withholding information (shown on the W-4 form) at least annually to ensure that it reflects your current tax situation. If you get married, separated, divorced, or have a child, then you need to update your W-4 form.

* What records do I need to fill out my tax forms?

Below are some forms you might need to fill out:

– If you are self-employed earning more than $400, or if you are a church employee, you must fill out Schedule SE.

– If you are an employer you must pay an employment tax.

– If you have manufacturing business, you will be paying excise taxes.

* Whom can I claim as a dependent?

You can claim a dependent if the person is a qualifying child or a qualifying relative. When claiming children, he or she must be your child, stepchild, adopted child, foster child, brother, sister, grandchild, niece or nephew. The dependent should be living with you for more than 6 months of the year and should also be under the age of 19 at the end of the year, or under age 24 and a full-time student for at least five months of the year, or any age and totally, permanently disabled.

* What if I do not file my taxes on time?

If you forget to file on or before the due date (usually April 15 of every year) you should file as soon as you can. Not filing on time costs you penalties and interest. Usually a 5% interest on taxes not paid will be added onto your tax until it accumulates to 25%. Also, there is usually a separate charge if you do not file on time. If you fail to file a tax return at all (when you owe taxes) you can go to jail.

There are several advantages to establishing a limited liability company and many of these compensations revolve around the tax advantages. A limited liability company if often sought as a third alternative to forming a corporation or a partnership. Many corporations are formed because they offer attractive limits on the personal liability that the business may suffer due to debts or liabilities. Partnerships don’t offer the same kind of protection, but do provide better tax advantages.

A limited liability company works to combine both these features, providing protection against personal liability while also establishing solid tax advantages. In addition to these selling points, a limited liability company is also often preferable to either incorporation or the formation of a partnership because they provide more flexibility than corporations and also because the legalities involved in running tend to be less formal. It is this lack of formality that leads to the tax advantages inherent in a limited liability company.

When it comes to federal taxation laws, a limited liability company has much more flexibility for choosing particular tax advantages. The default choice when there is more than one owner is for the LLC to be treated like a partnership and file the same form, Form 1065. But a multiple-owner LLC can also choose to be treated as either a C corporation or an S corporation. A single-owner limited liability company can choose to be treated for tax purposes as either a sole proprietorship—which is the default choice made by the IRS—or as either a C corporation or an S corporation.

The primary tax advantages in organizing a business entity as a limited liability company is the avoidance of double taxation. In traditional corporate structure, a company’s income is initially taxed and after the profits are divided in the form of dividends, they are subject to taxes again. But a limited liability company’s income bypasses the initial taxation and instead each member of the LLC is taxed based on individual allocations. One of the other tax advantages of a limited liability company is that dividends are not subject to taxation.

Of course, along with tax advantages come disadvantages. After all, if limited liability companies were perfect, there wouldn’t be any other kind of companies. Some states have chosen to impose franchise taxes on LLCs. Of they may require certain annual fees in order to allow you to operate within that state.

The legal ramifications of choosing to become a C corporation or S corporation or simply a sole proprietorship are dense and complex and certainly shouldn’t be made after reading an article on the internet, even articles that provide much more information that this article. Tax advantages of limited liability companies are certainly a selling point—along with the protection they offer from liability—but before making any decision; it is advisable to consult an experienced attorney. One thing to keep in mind about a limited liability company beyond the tax advantages is that they are a fairly recent innovation and therefore legal precedent is in the process of being set right now. In fact, should you face legal action, your case may be the one that sets the precedent.

There are many people marketing themselves as tax pros, but few can offer the superior advantages of a tax attorney. MBAs, licensed and credentialed accountants, or your next door neighbor with a tax software program and some free time will all offer to help you out with your taxes, but only a licensed tax attorney can really help you out of your tax bind. A Tax lawyer can offer three significant advantages over other tax professionals. A tax attorney can offer confidentiality, practical advice for the long term, and negotiating skills to remedy any tax controversies.

Tax time can be a stressful time. Individuals during tax time, especially those with significant tax debt, can find themselves saying or thinking extremely as the time to pay approaches. Sometimes clients encounter special situations in which they can make various choices regarding reporting money or claiming deductions. This confusing time can be much more stressful when a client feels he or she cannot truthfully ask their questions for fear of later having to answer for their words. Conversations with a tax professional other than a tax attorney are not confidential in most cases, and are never confidential when they involve possible criminal cases. Criminal or not, conversation with a tax attorney are always confidential. This means clients of a tax attorney can ask the most far reaching questions, and brainstorm the most far out scenarios, and the tax attorney cannot be induced to share these words. A tax attorney will not advise a client to act criminally, but will also not turn a client in if a client appears suspicious.

Tax attorneys offer practical advice for the long run. Tax attorneys take into consideration all of the aspects of a client’s life. A tax attorney can advise a client on their many options for tax payment. A tax attorney can advise a client on claiming procedure and on deductions, ensuring the client remains within the letter of the law. The tax attorney specializes in tax law, providing clients’ piece of mind that their tax situation is being overseen by a profession who will maintain legitimacy and lawfulness throughout. Tax attorneys can walk clients through several procedures. Tax attorneys can help a client decide if bankruptcy, emergency relief collection, or an Offer in Compromise will be profitable solutions to their individual tax needs. Tax attorneys can help clients even in a multi-state situation, and will be familiar with each state’s codes.

Tax attorneys provide superior negotiating skills to clients who need advocacy as much as advice. Negotiating the IRS waters can be a difficult job, and one that meets many closed doors and crosses much red tape. A tax attorney has been trained to negotiate and maneuver on behalf of the client. A tax attorney is familiar with the system and will be able expedite the process through efficient navigating of the IRS and state taxations systems.

There are many professionals to choose from to meet tax season needs, but a tax attorney provides superior advocacy and negotiation to clients who mean business. Tax attorneys offer confidentiality and piece of mind.

Here are seven reasons for not being late filing your income tax returns.

1. Avoid Late Filing Penalties

Late filing can result in substantial and continuing penalties. This is in addition to any interest that is due.

2. Receive Better Service from Your Accountant

The earlier you get your paperwork to your accountant, the sooner he can start preparing your tax returns. More importantly, there will be more opportunities to explore and implement tax saving strategies. On the other hand, if you file late, you tie your accountant’s hands. For example, he may hesitate to retain profit in your corporation if such profit will be subject to substantial penalties.

3. Avoid Criminal Charges

Of course, if you don’t file tax returns at all for a few years, you may also face charges of tax evasion.

4. Prevent Bankruptcy

Generally speaking, persons who don’t file tax returns on a timely basis also lack adequate records for managing their business. Since they don’t keep their bookkeeping and accounting up-to-date, they only think they know how they’re doing and how they stand financially. This, of course, is a recipe for financial disaster.

5. Enjoy Better Relations with Tax Authorities

Late filers also receive the unwanted attention of the taxation departments. Non-compliance can result in audits, aggressive collection action and legal proceedings. In addition, if you ever do have extenuating circumstances that might call for some leniency or extraordinary consideration on the part of the tax department, you are more likely to receive it if you have a flawless history of co-operation and compliance.

6. Obtain Financing

You’ll have difficulty obtaining financing if you can’t provide your financial institution with current income information. Assessment Notices from taxation authorities give banks more assurance that the income claims you make are true. As well, if you haven’t filed your current income tax returns, what hidden tax liabilities exist? What is the state of your record-keeping? How do you run your business without adequate financial information? Your bank may hesitate to loan you money or refinance under these circumstances.

7. Reduce Stress and Worry

Many people who are late filing their tax returns feel guilty about it. At the back of their minds, they worry about taxation authorities contacting them, audits, asset seizures, criminal prosecution, penalties and interest, and so on. Some of these worries can become magnified beyond what the actual situation warrants. Save yourself unnecessary stress by filing your income tax returns on time.

Just the thought of taxes can scare people out of their minds. You have to keep all your records and documents in order to be able to file easier at the end of the year. Home business owners have their own set of allowable deductions that differ from other businesses. You have a chance to save a lot of money by knowing how to take advantage of you home business situation.

Know what your deductions are. There are several deductibles that the home-based business owner is ent…

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Just the thought of taxes can scare people out of their minds. You have to keep all your records and documents in order to be able to file easier at the end of the year. Home business owners have their own set of allowable deductions that differ from other businesses. You have a chance to save a lot of money by knowing how to take advantage of you home business situation.

Know what your deductions are. There are several deductibles that the home-based business owner is entitled to. There are auto/vehicle deductions that can help with mileage, gas, insurance, and/or other related expenses. You can write off your business cards and stationary, plus any business meals and entertainment. All business traveling expenses, education, and even the interest on your business credit card can be counted in your favor. If you use a computer the Internet service and web page related expenses could be deducted as well. Office furniture, supplies, your phone and other communication devices are also necessities that have deductions. Any postage or delivery of goods charges is also considered a business expense. The home-based owner can also get deductions on rent and utilities that keep the business running. Deductions that you will want to use on your 1040 form are:

* Half of your self-employment tax amount, which can offer you a huge savings.
* As much as 100% of your medical insurance costs for you and your family.

If you make more than $600 per year in self-employment you must file your taxes. You may qualify for the C-EZ form if you have had a bad year or just got started. Your total business expenses will have to be less than $5000 for that year; you have no inventory, or have to file a 4562 form (depreciation and amortization form). Make sure first and foremost that your expenses are less than $5000 and that you have taken all the deductions you are entitled to.

A large decision is who will be doing your taxes. You need to decide if you plan to do them yourself or if you want someone else to do them for you. There are several advantages in using a tax professional. They can save you much time and unneeded frustration. They can spot deductions you might miss or not know about. It also saves you from being responsible for any errors that were made in the preparation, which could end up saving you thousands. No matter how you decide to prepare your taxes be sure to claim all possible deductions to save you money in the long run. A business has many breaks for the taxpayer for a reason and you should make sure you know what you qualify for and how to save.

The beginning thought of T.S Eliot’s masterwork “The Wasteland” states that “April is the cruelest month,” and while his poem deals with themes far more universal than tax time in the US, millions of American taxpayers can only nod their heads in agreement at its opening words. But those taxpayers for whom April has added insult to injury in the form of an IRS or state tax board dispute, a tax attorney can be a longed-for ally.

Having to come face-to-face with any tax authority, be it the IRS or at the state level, can be very intimidating for most average taxpayers. And taxpayers who try to deal with tax authorities on their won may find themselves completely immersed in legal speak which they do not understand, and agreeing to things contrary to their own best interests.

By hiring a tax attorney, you as a beleaguered taxpayer can have someone speaking the same language as the authorities and interpreting what they are saying in easy-to-comprehend terms. A tax attorney will also be able to help you dial down the stress level a few notches by letting you know when the taxmen are bluffing you.

When To Call A Tax Attorney

If for some reason you find yourself in the position of being in debt to the Internal Revenue Service, and thousands upon thousands of taxpayers are, you should not waste another minute before contacting a tax attorney. A lawyer trained specifically in tax law, a tax attorney can find you the quickest and least expensive way out of your predicament.

Giant business entities have stables of tax attorneys on retainer simply to keep them from running afoul of the IRS Tax Code. A tax attorney can address your tax issues regardless of their nature, from the failure to file, to audits, to property seizures and liens, to wage garnishment.

Is It Really Worth it?

While the cost of hiring a tax attorney may at first seem prohibitive, you will save far mire in the long run than if you let the IT run roughshod over your bank account. The IRS is interested in only one thing: getting what you legitimately owe and whatever penalties they can tack on to it. A tax attorney will negotiate the best possible terms for you and that can mean a significant reduction in penalties. For more info see http://www.filetaxhelp.com on File Tax Help.

If you have the IRS coming after you, hiring a tax attorney is the best way of protecting your interests. All the effort you have put into building a life for you and your loved ones can be wiped out with a single IRS decision, and you need someone who talks the IRS’ language to speak for you. Your accountant, if you have one, may be able to recommend a good tax attorney; otherwise, you can contact the American Bar Association. If you are lucky enough to find a tax attorney who is also a CPA, you’ll improve your odds of a fair outcome even more.

Let’s face it, taxes are complicated, especially if you own a small business. Read below about tax concerns to avoid some of the most common pitfalls experienced by small business owners today.

As your business grows, you will probably need to hire employees. Some of the most common tax concerns involve employee tax issues. When you hire employees, you have to file timely payroll tax returns and make the required tax deposits.

Payroll taxes include three types of taxes:…

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Let’s face it, taxes are complicated, especially if you own a small business. Read below about tax concerns to avoid some of the most common pitfalls experienced by small business owners today.

As your business grows, you will probably need to hire employees. Some of the most common tax concerns involve employee tax issues. When you hire employees, you have to file timely payroll tax returns and make the required tax deposits.

Payroll taxes include three types of taxes:

– Income Tax-You must withhold the proper amount of income tax from each employee’s paycheck throughout the year.

-Social Security and Medicare Tax or FICA-You must withhold the employee’s share of FICA taxes from each paycheck and you must match that amount.

-Federal Unemployment Tax or FUTA-This tax goes to the unemployment insurance system and is paid by the employer. The employee pays no part of FUTA.

Always pay your payroll taxes in full and on time. If you don’t, the IRS adds interest and large penalties. The interest and penalties can quickly grow if you don’t pay them immediately. These fees can be enormous and can cause businesses to fail if they cannot afford to pay the fees.

Another common tax issue is misclassifying workers. Workers are usually classified as either regular employees or independent contractors. Business owners have payroll tax withholding and reporting obligations for all of their employees; however, business owners don’t have to withhold or make contributions for payroll taxes for true independent contractors.

Calling someone an independent contractor saves a lot of time complying with IRS reporting requirements. It also saves money-you don’t have to make the employer’s share of the FICA contributions and you won’t have to pay unemployment compensation. It costs a business 20 percent to 40 percent more per worker to treat them as employees. While it may be tempting to use independent contractors rather than employees, the IRS is very aware of the benefits of misclassifying an employee as an independent contractor and will impose stiff penalties for those who break the rule.

If you plan to use independent contractors rather than employees, take the IRS test (http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1779.pdf), which lists 20 factors to determine whether a worker is an employee or contractor.

Many people just assume their accountant will cut their taxes as much as possible. To get the biggest benefit from them, you need to be a bit more proactive.

Make Your Accountant Your Best Friend

Accountants tend to come in two types. The first is a reactive accountant, one that waits for you to send in your financial information and then prepares your taxes. The second asks you to come in and fill in annoying questionnaires about your life and so on. You want to go with this second accountant.

To truly save money on your taxes, you want a proactive accountant. A proactive accountant recognizes that the best way to cut tax bills is to plan ahead. They do not want to see you in April when it is time to prepare last years taxes. Instead, they want to see you in January every year to have a lengthy discussion about your finances, changes you foresee in your life that year and your plans for the future. Once they have this information, they can give you definitive direction on steps to take to cut down on your taxes.

Despite what you may have heard, accountants are just as human as you and I. If you don’t make any effort to get your tax strategy sorted out, they probably will not either. If they give you advice and you don’t follow it, you have no one to blame but yourself. To get the biggest benefit you must avoid procrastination. They are going to save you thousands, if not tens of thousands, of dollars, so do your part.

So, how do you find a proactive accountant? You can look around the net or ask friends. You will never really know what you have, however, until you meet with one. When you do, you need to ask them what steps they will take to handle your taxes. If they make no mention of a review of your finances for the purpose of making recommendations, it is time to move to the next one.

To get the biggest benefit from your tax professional, you need two things. First, find a proactive one. Second, follow their directives immediately.

Self-employed individuals always cringe at the amount of taxes the pay to the IRS and state. Here are tax strategies for self-employed individuals that reduce those tax amounts.

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Self-employed individuals always cringe at the amount of taxes the pay to the IRS and state. Here are tax strategies for self-employed individuals that reduce those tax amounts.

Strategies For Limiting Taxes If You Are Your Own Boss

The good news is being self-employed is one of the best tax strategies out there. Unlike a salaried employee, the full scope of tax credits and deductions available in the tax code are now available to you. The key, of course, is understanding the available deductions and organizing your business in a manner that allows you to maximize the write-offs.

The number one tax strategy for self-employed individuals is to keep receipts for every business expense and write them off. Practically anything can be deducted, so do it. Acceptable expenses include cell phone usage, business mileage, office supplies, home office deductions including part of mortgage or rent and so on. If you’ve filed a tax return while self-employed, you are probably already aware of this so lets move on to more specific tax strategies for self-employed individuals.

Maximizing you non-capital losses can result in major tax savings. If your expenses exceed your income for a year, you obviously will not have to pay taxes for that year. What most people don’t realize, however, is that such losses can be carried forward for seven years and deducted against future income. Alternatively, the same losses can be carried backward three years to recover past taxes paid. The end result of this situation is you can turn a bad business year into an income generator by applying the losses to taxes in other years which effectively wipes out your tax bill for those years.

Another tax strategy is to look at your side businesses. If you have one business, you’ll often have a second one that is tailored to making some money off a personal interest. While you are in it mostly because you like it, you may not realize it qualifies as a business and can help you reduce your taxes. Let’s assume you are primarily a self-employed consultant, but also write travel articles on the side. You may view the travel articles as a hobby, but it is in fact a business. If you’ve sold or even tried to sell any of your articles to a publication, all of your expenses related to travel writing can be deducted from your taxable income. This includes trips and so on. These, deductions can significantly reduce your taxable income from the consulting business. Make sure to get a grasp of your overall business efforts, even if you don’t really consider them to be a business.

Consider employing your children to save on taxes. A child under 18 that works for you does not have to pay FICA and so on. If the total wages for the year are under $4,250, they will pay no taxes and you can write off this amount as a legitimate business expense. Of course, the child needs to actually be doing a legitimate business task, but filing and similar manual tasks certainly will qualify.

Tax strategies for the self-employed are plentiful. If you are self-employed, consider getting professional help. A good professional will save you thousands upon thousands of dollars in taxes, more than making up for their fees. Oh, you can also deduct their fees!

Dreading April?

If you are running a home business, it is important to remember that there are tax deductions for you when tax season rolls around. Of course, you do not want to try to fool the IRS (no one wants to run the risk of being audited!), but you do want to take advantage of those deductions that are rightfully yours. Running your own home business takes much of the same expenses, effort, time, space, equipment, and travel as any other business. Below are some hom…

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Dreading April?

If you are running a home business, it is important to remember that there are tax deductions for you when tax season rolls around. Of course, you do not want to try to fool the IRS (no one wants to run the risk of being audited!), but you do want to take advantage of those deductions that are rightfully yours. Running your own home business takes much of the same expenses, effort, time, space, equipment, and travel as any other business. Below are some home business tax deductions to remember as April is drawing near.

If you have a home office that is dedicated solely to your home business, you can add it to your list of home business deductions. The same goes for telephone charges, office supplies, furniture, software, subscriptions, and other equipment. Do not fear an audit for making these home business tax deductions as long as these items are used exclusively for your home business.

If your business requires you to leave your home office, you can add the cost of travel, mileage, meals, entertainment, and anything else that goes along with the cost of living on the road to your home business tax deductions. During the year, make sure you keep documentation of your mileage, your trips, food, etc.

Now, what about the really big stuff? Well, when making home business tax deductions, you can also take into consideration insurance premiums (if you are self-employed and pay for your own insurance), the money you deduct for retirement, and half of what you pay towards your social security. And if your children are seventeen or younger and are working for you, you can deduct their salaries as business expenses.

This is just a quick scan of the home business tax deductions you can take advantage of. For more information, check out www.bankrate.com, and talk to a tax professional.

As the season to fill tax returns and forms approaches people get confused and nervy. The IRS dons the role of a huge brooding monster that is all set to devour you. Unfortunately most of us keep postponing filing of papers and putting our affairs in order until the very last minute and then confusion and stress reign supreme.

The last minute dash and the lack of knowledge of tax laws, depreciation formulas, and deductibility guidelines can land you in a soup. And, this means coughing up precious dollars that you could find better use for.

Errors however small can result in payment of higher taxes and can mean a delayed or no refunds. As in everything, the way to smoothen things is to be systematic and file papers pertaining to tax returns carefully throughout the year. Do not throw away bills, vouchers, or receipts that support your tax forms. Next discipline your self to read the IRS rules and regulations. Do not depend on what others tell you or hearsay. Check out facts for yourself.

Everyone makes “tax” return mistakes even professors, CEOs, and VPs. Some common mistakes which are just plain idiocy or stupid are:

1. Benefits claimed pertaining to dependent children. Often if you fail to know the allowed exemptions you may fail to make a correct claim or make an incorrect one. To help clear confusion in 2006 the IRS created a uniform definition of a child and the broad outlines are at: http://www.bankrate.com/brm/itax/tips/20010208a.asp . However if you have any doubts or questions clear them before filing your return.

2. Most errors are calculation mistakes and wrongly filled in figures. Always check and recheck where the full stop or comma is applied. Go through the numbers patiently and do your totaling on two separate days. Better still ask a family member or friend to check the figures for you. Consider using “tax software programs” these ease many problems in filing your return. When filling details keep in mind the fact that the IRS will check entries against W-2, 1099 and other statements that pertain to your tax. If a discrepancy is found it just means trouble as well as delays.

3. Forgetting to sign and date the forms is a mistake that leads to the IRS just not processing your return. Be sure to check all the pages carefully and ensure you have not missed anything however small and insignificant. Another common error is forgetting to write your social security numbers or tax ID numbers.

4. Often tax payers forget to submit all relevant forms like W-2, 1040, or 07, or 16. Check the relevant schedule for each claim and ensure that all relevant and supporting forms are attached to the return.

5. Failing to keep track of investments, allowed deductions, interests paid or earned and so on. You need to maintain details of when you invested, what dividends were paid, whether any taxes were deducted on maturity, any capital gains, taxes paid on sums earlier. If you clearly keep track of taxes paid you could avoid paying tax on amounts already taxed. The calculations must be done carefully and systematically to avoid faux pas.

6. Choosing the EZ form 1040Ez rather than the long form. If your earnings, expenditure and other things are simple then just take the trouble of filling the longer form. You will be surprised at the amount you can save in taxes. The longer form allows subtractions from taxable income like student loan interest, alimony paid, donations of charities and so on.

7. Missing the deadline and asking for an extension. This means paying late penalties as well as interest. In case a personal problem prevents filing in April you need to submit form 4868 by the April deadline to get an extension.

8. Using a wrong table to make calculations. Two things need care filing status and the right tax tables. Using wrong ones or filing under a wrong status will put you in more trouble than you need. And, the mistake could mean paying taxes on taxes or on investment earnings. Be astute and compute your tax using the work sheet at the back of the booklet.

9. Three laughable mistakes tax payers make is to fill out the check wrong and forgetting to sign it. Posting the forms without the proper postage on the return package. And, worst of all not using the pre-printed label and envelope provided by the IRS.

The IRS has modernized its systems and some of the silly mistakes can be avoided if you opt for electronic filing. Last year almost over 50% of the taxes were filed using e-filing. The advantages are many. All the forms you will need are on tab, the software takes you step by step through the filling process, the electronic calculators rarely make errors, and most of all e-filing forms get processes quicker the turnaround is 14 days. See: http://www.irs.com/. If in doubt, you can e-file using the services of an authorized tax professional.

File on time and correctly. Avoid heart burn and hypertension.

If you’re not sure whether you have a simple tax return you can do yourself or you wonder about missing significant tax advantages or are concerned that you might be making mistakes, use the checklist below from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants to help you decide whether you should hire a certified public accountant to help you prepare your tax return.

You may want to consult with a CPA if you:

• Bought or sold a home. You’ll want to take all allowable deductions and make certain you qualify for the personal residence exclusion.

• Got married, divorced or your spouse died. Only a competent tax professional can guide you through the complex tax rules that pertain to assets passing through estates.

• Had a baby or adopted a child. A CPA can explain in plain English the sometimes dumbfounding array of investment options for saving for a child’s college education, as well as details about the child credit, child care credit and earned income credit.

• Have a retirement plan, such as an IRA, 401(k), Keogh plan, a pension or an annuity.

• Recently bought or started a business, own a business or work from home. A CPA can advise you on whether you should operate as a corporation, partnership or sole proprietorship.

• Acquired rental property or have rental income. A CPA understands the complex tax rules that apply.

• Have needs for estate planning and need to understand all the ramifications of property taxes.

Like your doctor, your tax preparer knows a lot about your personal situation, so continuity of service is also an important factor. That’s why, for many individuals, choosing a CPA is the right choice.

CPAs are college-educated, licensed professionals certified by the states in which they practice. They have passed a rigorous licensing exam and are required to adhere to strict ethics standards, as well as to stay current with evolving tax laws and regulations. They are not part-timers who took a crash course in a few basic tax rules, operating out of a storefront. Finally, if a dispute arises about your tax return, only CPAs, attorneys or enrolled agents are authorized to represent you before the IRS.

The last thing most people think about when starting a business is doing taxes. But proper planning will make doing your taxes much easier – and keep the IRS happy!

Here are 3 simple tips for keeping proper records:

1. Whenever you buy anything for your business, keep the receipt!

Not only will this make record keeping a lot simpler, but if you are ever audited (having your tax return reviewed in detail by the IRS), you can prove your expenses, and save yourself mo…

Keywords:
build wealth,personal finance,save money,tax planning,irs,retirement planning,record keeping

Article Body:
The last thing most people think about when starting a business is doing taxes. But proper planning will make doing your taxes much easier – and keep the IRS happy!

Here are 3 simple tips for keeping proper records:

1. Whenever you buy anything for your business, keep the receipt!

Not only will this make record keeping a lot simpler, but if you are ever audited (having your tax return reviewed in detail by the IRS), you can prove your expenses, and save yourself money.

2. Write down all your expenses and income as they happen.

As your business grows, you’ll have more and more activities to keep you busy. The last thing you’ll want to do each April 15 is to organize your records for the year. So, it’s a good idea to write down all your financial activities as they happen. You’ll find preparing your taxes will take much less time if you are organized.

3. Learn how to save money on your taxes.

As you learn about taxes, you’ll find that there are many deductions (expenses that reduce your income, and therefore your taxes) you can take that are not obvious. When using your home office, you may be able to deduct (at least partially) repairs you make around the house, utilities, your home’s value at the time you start your business, and more.

The more you know about taxes, and the more organized you are in keeping records, the more time and money you’ll save at the end of every year!

What happens if you don’t keep proper records?

Individuals with small businesses are the most likely to have their tax returns audited by the IRS. If you don’t have a receipt, you will likely lose the deduction and owe the IRS money.

And while an audit does not have to be feared, you should be prepared – the more organized your records, the easier it will be to prove your case.

If you don’t have one, get a file box and some folders at your local office supply store (these supplies are deductible, so keep your receipts!) and create a filing system for your business. Put all your receipts in the proper folders, and put them in a safe place.

Another way to save yourself time is to record all of your business transactions – expenses and income – on a spreadsheet on your computer. Keep a column for income, advertising, supplies, etc. You don’t need to be a computer expert. But keeping accurate, organized records will help you save time when you fill out your taxes at the end of the year.

And it can help you plan, by giving you a snapshot or your financial progress whenever you need it.

Which may come in handy when you need to place ads, borrow money – or take a much needed and well-deserved vacation!